Samsung vs Apple

You want to buy a new laptop for graphic work and are aiming for a new MacBook Pro? FYI the only decent machine they got at the moment it's the most expensive one. Do what? Samsung has a very decent range of very powerful laptops among the new Series 3 and Series 7 that will run the software you need very smoothly.

Yes that's true, Apple has an history of being a very good work tool for both musicians and visual artists, but that has changed since they released the Intel Macs. Right now you can compare what's inside and choose according your needs.

For Visual Artists, besides a powerful processor you'll need a good Graphic Card and tons of SDRAM and VRAM. You can find that on Samsung's Series 3 or 7 laptop with very good results. All the visual arts software you are used to in a mac has now simultaneous releases for both platforms which means you don't need to leave behind all your past work.

Apple computers quality has decreased much since the Intel Mac release, costumer support too and also their policies aren't as friendly as they used to be. Samsung on the other hand has improved not only technically but as a love mark. Their Galaxy Note Tablet and Smartphone are technically way better than any incarnation of Apple's iPhone and, Visual Artists, don't forget that it's the only mobile device with an Adobe Photoshop Touch developed specifically for it.

So if you're looking into a new laptop, remember that Apple, that used to be an awesome professional tool, is now only a status symbol for the super rich. Choose a better machine for one third of a MacBook Pro among the Samsung's Series 3, 5 or 7 according to your real needs, and be sure to be making a good choice. Remember that a more powerful computer will have better results with the software you need to run.

About changing OS... Yes MacOS X is awesome, but Windows 7 and 8 are amazing and have a great UI, very easy to adjust after over 20 years of Apple Computers, the migration is relatively painless and will save you a lot of money. Think different, don't be an iDiot!

Public Transports and Mobile Comms

Since I moved to Algés, I've been using the Public Transportations Network to travel through Lisbon and it improved my quality of life quite a bit. That allied to an android smartphone allow me to blog from anywhere at anytime without having to be tied to a computer in a room and allows me to be outdoors and have more free time to work on new projects.

Today, travelling by tram while blogging brought me back high school memories and it actually made me remember why I love my birth town: Lisbon!

Smartphones and Mobility

More and more we're all connected via web. Carrying a laptop around doesn't help much so the industry turned to smartphones and tablets. But does it makes you more connected to other human beings or less?
On New Year's Eve we were all in the same room texting our thumbs off and for a moment we all doze off from reality and it made me wonder.
I just got my first smartphone and it actually freed me from so many hours at the computer and it does allow me to check work mails, to Blog while I'm having coffee at some place nice or to comment at twitter or facebook while watching a soccer game.
I guess it's just a matter of setting a few sensible rules on it's use and it's actually a good thing.

Namasté

Banks, Social Services and Citizen's Card

Been to banks all morning today and the amount of time you spend on a line to take care of simple things you could easily do at home if the Portuguese new Citizen's Card would work at 100% is amazing.

My question is… Why the heck did they even bothered to remodel the old ID card to the new Citizen's Card if not even Social Security or Finances Services benefit fully from it?

Was that just another Mr. Sócrates' stunt to look good in the picture saying how much we'd benefit from this new service instead of working towards a more unified system between all official services?

Well, good thing he's gone with the wind to Paris to study philosophy, but in the meanwhile I hope the current PM will make something useful out of the Citizen's Card, once we already were bonded to it by default and we're not actually benefiting from it as it didn't simplify anything gin our lives.